McDonald's sign, Historical fast-food advertisement in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
The McDonald's sign in Pine Bluff is a single-arch sign with yellow plastic panels set in a metal frame and a red advertising panel midway up. It was manufactured by Sign Crafters of Evansville, Indiana, using plastic sheeting from Rohm & Haas of Philadelphia. The sign now stands at the McDonald's on South Olive Street, about two miles from its original South Main Street location.
The sign was erected in 1962 as McDonald's rapidly expanded across the United States, opening restaurants along major roadways. It represents a wave of neon advertising that defined post-war American business and shaped how companies attracted customers.
The sign shows how fast-food chains shaped American commercial landscapes and the role neon lighting played in roadside design. It reflects a time when such glowing advertisements were central to how businesses communicated with passing travelers.
The sign now stands at the McDonald's on South Olive Street, about two miles from its original South Main Street site. It is visible from the street; the backlit plastic panels are best seen after dark.
The sign was made by Sign Crafters of Evansville, Indiana, with plastic sheeting from Rohm & Haas of Philadelphia. It is the only single-arch McDonald's sign with its own National Register listing; a comparable sign at The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan, is in a private collection.
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